Feeding my Blonde Naso Tang

[MediaOne]

I just purchased a 2" Blonde Naso Tang from a local LFS. I am very familiar with keeping Tang species but never bothered actually keeping a Naso Tang. He is an agressive feeder (as I saw in the fish store... and occasionally in my tank)... but he is not taking to Brown Algae!!!

It's the strangest thing. Most Tangs enjoy brown algae and if not they atleast like red or green. Scott Michaels also mentions that some Blonde Naso Tangs will only eat Brown Algae.

Any ideas on why he won't eat it? I am affraid that long term he will be missing out on a lot of his diet, being more of a herbivore than a carnivore that is.

Please help if you can
Thanks!

 

[MediaOne]

He is currently grazing my live rock to hell. And he does try whatever I feed (mega-marine, mysis)... brine shrimp seem to be his favorite. I am fortifying the brine with vitamins (Kent Zoe)... till I can get him aggressively feeding on all foods I put in there.

???

 

[naesco]

The Naso tang you have chosen is difficult but not impossible to keep. You should be providing live foods and a variety of green stuff.
If he does not soon adjust to your tank he will likely deteriorate.
Try another brand of brown algae.

 

[MediaOne]

Neasco... if you don't mind me asking, where have you ever read they are difficult to keep. I have kept Naso tangs in the past... and boy were they huge... very good feeders that ate anything I put at them.

Blonde Naso tangs are the exact same species, and thus should feed accordingly.

I have read a TON of books and online resources, maybe I missed one, but I have never heard of Blonde Naso's wasting away in captivity.

Pass the resource on please

 

[naesco]

www.exotictropicals.com/enclyclo/marine/tangs/tangs.htm
Naso Tangs "beautiful fish that can be hard to acclimate to captivity. Tangs smaller than 4 inches rarely adapt to living in captivity unless they are well fed and have unlimited access to food."
It goes on to state (mine)that larger ones should be acquired and that they are not suitable for a reef tank as they are rambunctious and are very likely to chew on invertibrates and algae.
Robert Fenner "states that once they accept
standard food they will eat greedily but it may be difficult to gain this acceptance."
please see www.aquariumsystems.com/sspage1.htm
Thank you

 

[naesco]

That was 'encyclo' sorry

 

[Tremelle]

I bought a juvenille blonde naso and it would not eat the algea sheets as well. It started to eat one day when the desjardinii took a piece in front of it and ate it. The blonde then nibbled on it and it has been eating it ever since. You may also consider adding spirulina flake to the diet.

 

[reefmutt1]

What is he currently eating?? do you supplement vitamins ??

 

[MediaOne]

thanks Neasco, learn something new everyday!

Thanks for passing on the resource.

The thing is he has excepted Brine shrimp, Mysis, even the algae sheet... he is trying a bit of everything but is not taking to anything like crazy...

Again, thanks. I'm glad you backed up what you were saying with some actual reading... instead of what most people do on this BB... taking everything as an insult to their intelligents.

Ciao!

 

[naesco]

Thanks no problem.
The best thing to do is to try a variety of foods. Move a powerhead near the top and place the food in the current. Sometimes this helps. Tanks like high water movement and oxygenated water anyway.
You need to get him eating lots and wean him to the brown algae as they need it to survive. Must be something in it.

 

[MediaOne]

Okay he is accepting brine shrimp and mysis like any normal fish. I have been putting lots of food in the tank. I have determined that he does not like MegaMarine for some reason.

I put in some green algae and he tried it but didn't keep eating it.

I think maybe I will borrow a convict tang from a LFS and get him eating the Brown algae sheets in front of the Naso.